Jam Bands Music

I must start this review by saying I am not an average fan. I have been following the band for almost 10 years, and have seen them in concert upwards of 50 times. That being said, my favorite disc has always been Before These Crowded Streets.

This album definitely shows a migration back to the heavily jazz influenced music of the mid-90s. There is a step away from the pop feeling of discs like Everyday, and a step towards the older music found on Under the table and Dreaming. While it is not as upbeat and fun as Crash, I believe this is intentional because of the messages being delivered throughout the album. If you are looking for a solid rock disc infused with jazz and soul, then this may be the first DMB disc for you since 1998.

Also, being that this was the disc being made when founding member Leroi Moore died, there are some emotional sax tracks found throughout the album as a bit of a dedication. ALl of the cover and insert art was created by Dave Matthews, so that adds a little more interest that is not found on releases by many other mainstream bands.

I'v been a big fan of the Dave Matthews Band for years now and this by far is their best album. From the first track of hearing their fallen member,LeRoi playing his sax is beautiful. The rest of the album pays tribute to him in certain songs and basically just kicks butt. I own all of their albums and this is my favorite yet.

The songs are consistently good and put together in a way that makes the album engrossing.

The first listen through, I felt it was "a little different". But to be honest I felt the same way about "Crash" and "Before These Crowded Streets"...both albums after giving it a bit to synch in...became my "new facorite albums. Now I do have an issue with "Everyday" as I was looking forward to the "studio cersion of "the lillywhite sessions"... and got "I did it". There ARE a few great songs on that album but it's just not The Dave Matthews Band. But then we got Busted Stuff and I was personally pleased. Stand Up...I really don't care for the album...but each and every one of those songs is amazing in concert. Now back to Big Whiskey... My first listen through I wasn't quite sure what to think..There was some stuff that was good right off the bat, and other songs that made me think: "Wait...do I like that?" Point being, bands evolve, and we're never going to get another Under the Table and Dreaming, or another Crash... but what they did here with the exception of the last song (in my own humble opinion) is just make a great album. Everysong is different from the last. It's catchy but at the same time you can really feel amazing musicianship through out.

...nor have I heard much more from them outside of what hits the airwaves, but I heard something from this album recently and decided to try the album before buying it. Well, I'm in the, "try" phase and I'm absolutely going to buy it. This is a great album thus far! I've always enjoyed what I've heard from the guys in the past, but never so much that I had to hear them outside of when they came on the radio. Not the case with this album! I definitely sense a heavy replay value for me with this album. It's both melodic and rockin'. There are elements on this album that have a vague feel of Sting ala Ten Summoner's Tales, but that's just a personal observation and certainly not something that runs throughout; just a nice touch in places for me to be reminded of that album.

There's not a song on this album I don't like. It's got a good, solid groove throughout and is a good change of pace from the things I listen to on a regular basis (extremely heavy metal). Anyway, coming from someone who has never owned a DMB record but has always really enjoyed them when I heard them, if you're like me, you absolutely will not be disappointed in this album. I can't speak on the behalf of those who have been fans since the beginning but there are others here on Amazon who can (and have).

All-in-all, pick it up. Trust me when I say you don't even need to take the, "try before you buy" approach if you can relate to me as a DMB listener. Great music!

We loved it! This was a very unexpected surprise! Darius Rucker was great on this CD. He has a great voice, strong, yet, mellow and smooth and the songs were a little different, very original, great! Just wish there were more than 12 tracks. A pleasure to listen to. We hope he does more country. Would buy this again!

At first when I heard Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blow Fish was going country, I was a little afraid. I was thinking it was gonna be like Hootie but with a country label added to it. I'm glade I was wrong this is a country album. Just about every song on here is great. IMHO this is the best thing he did for his career.

charlie pride was the greatest blk country singer ever but like i said he was past tense !!!dariuus rucker makes chairlie pride look like an american idol reject lol!THIS CD IS A PERFECT 10 HES GONNA BE THE GREATEST SINGER OF ALL TIME AND HE WRITES GREAT SONGS THAT GIVE U CHILLS!!!THIS CD ID BETTER THEN SEX LOL

Darius Rucker is awesome as a country singer. His music is enjoyable for all ages. My girls and I love this CD..

Darius shows us he can sing anything and make it sound good. Loads of good music on this CD.

This is definitely some of the band's finest material. Opens with a solo from Roi and ends with a solo from him as well. Nice mix of different vibes in this album. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

I love this CD!! I listen to at least one song daily. I love pretty much anything DMB, they have GREAT music!!

This CD is a step in the right direction. They're getting there again. Let's hope bands like Blues Traveler follow this lead.

Shake Me Like A Monkey is OUTSTANDING and there's one or two more songs but the rest really bore the heck out of me...it reminds me of being at a DMB show. 20,00 young girls under the assumption this group is a jam band, WHICH THEY ARE NOT! Any concert where I'm spending most of my time playing Wheel of Fortune on my cell isn't really that fun and as much as I said I wouldn't go back, I may just to hear Shake Me Like A Monkey live and of course, to see Jeff Coffin play.

If they continue to direct themselves toward more rock songs that would be great. The best thing working for them is Jeff Coffin. The man is brilliant and NOW they will probably rock out live. I hope he and Boyd duke it out!

Generally I like to save my reviews of music until I've thoroughly listened to the entire album. This one's been out for barely 3 weeks and I have already pretty much reached that point. This album is nothing short of great - for both longtime DMB fans and those who would want to listen for the first time. Catchy tunes, a diverse set of music...a band shows its true colors in its ability to continually transform its musical style while never completely forgetting what it has done in the past. Here's my song-by-song breakdown:

1. Grux - A short intro tune with heavy Sax. Great tribute to Mr. Grux himself, recently passed away Leroi Moore. Very groovy.

2. Shake Me Like a Monkey - Holy crap. Where do I start with this one? It's hot, its groovy, it's rhythmic, it has funk, it has spice and energy...I think its by far the best song on the album. From the drums to the amazing trumpet/sax part to the wacky singing of Dave, this song pretty much highlights every aspect of why I love the DMB so much.

3. Funny the Way It Is - Another one of the best songs on the album, it is a very catchy tune with some clever lyrics. And the lyrics are what make this song unique.

4. Lying in the Hands of God - Very happy they turned this live hit into the album version. Good singing, love the harmonies that Dave works with in his singing.

5. Why I Am - Another song that sound like its destined to be a hit. Love the lyrics referencing the "Groo Grux King", where the namesake of the album comes from. Not to mention the clever rhythms they use on the chorus with the words "Why I am", expanding the ryhythm each time they sing it. Its one of the subtle things that DMB does that sets them apart from other bands in my mind. And its those subtle things that keeps me listening to these songs even if I've heard them a 1000 times before already.

6. Dive In - A slower, "lazier" song, more mello. A good tune to relax to, and not to mention one part towards the end of the song where the electric guitar of Tim reynolds is introduced - absolutely unbelievable. I can't describe how unique the ambience and atmosphere is and what it does to the song when Tim starts playing. Its great.

7. Spaceman - Another mello laid back song. Probably my least favorite on the album...not that its a bad song, its just lacking on a unique identifying feature that other songs have had to this point. Though I do like the bass line.

8. Squirm - One of those buildup songs that gets gradually louder and more intense...its the intensity in the drum beats of this one that make it so interesting.

9. Alligator Pie - If you loved "Down By the Bayou" on DMB's previous album, you'll love this song. It's like that song, but crazy. There's something about Dave's unintelligible singing that is pleasing, and helps to make this song all the crazier.

10. Seven - Probably the most innovative of songs on this album. Any band that can play a song in 5 and 7 beats to a meter and make it interesting is a band deserving to be called great. I'm still figuring out some of the beats and exactly how Dave's lyrics are fitting on top of the 7-beat. Some splicing in of 5-beat measures makes this one interesting to those with a good musical ear (and otherwise a good song even if you aren't all that rhythmically interested). Anotehr good trumpet part in this song.

11. Time Bomb - Another one of Dave's crazy songs. It starts of innocently enough, then kind of "explodes" into a crazy and fast beat, much like a ticking time bomb! (OMG!) I generally don't like when singers scream ala Lincoln Park...but there is something oddly interesting about the way Dave screams when he sings, not like the emo screaming of bands like Lincoln Park.

12. Baby Blue - A nice guitar solo song by Dave. He always is good with those solo songs, and its more of the same here.

13. You and Me - Another song that could easily become a hit if so desired. This song almost sounds like it belongs at the end of a movie as the song that plays during the credits. In fact, the movie that comes to mind is Walle for some reason, and I think it even bears some sort of similarities with that Peter Gabriel song. IN any event, this is anotehr one of Dave's best songs on the album, one of his endlessly upbeat tunes.

The only criticism I give of the album is (a) I want more trumpet/sax/violin, (b) I want more songs, especially those that he;s written in the past few years that have been recorded live (like "Idea of You"). But other than that, this album reaffirms that DMB has lost no edge whatsoever in their creativity (and I was worried that they had "mello-ed out" after their Stand Up album)

I bought the Deluxe edition with the "Making of Big Whiskey" DVD. I wanted to share what's on the DVD since it's not specified on Amazon. That way, you can make your own determination whether you want to pay extra for it:

Runtime - 29:17

Packaging - Trifold with artwork on all panels. CD in one panel, lyrics and liner notes booklet in middle panel and DVD in last panel.

Contents - Behind the scenes look at the making of the album. Consists mostly of interviews with all bandmates, producer and session musicians interspersed with snippets of the recording sessions at different studios around the country. There are no full-length videos of complete songs. You get the gist of how the album was put together, but it's not a completely linear narrative, more like snapshots.

About 17 minutes in, the DVD becomes a tribute to late bandmate Leroi Moore. Some of the bandmates' remembrances are very touching. There are also some interesting tidbits, like Dave Matthews drew the cover artwork and the GrooGrux King bears a slight resemblance to Moore.

Altogether, it was enjoyable viewing, especially for someone like me who doesn't always read the fine print in the liner notes. However, I doubt I will be viewing it over and over like a performance video.

For his tenth studio album, Ben Harper has traded his normal backing band the Innocent Criminals for a new one the Relentless7, but make no doubt, White Lies for Dark Times still sounds like a Ben Harper album. What the Relentless7 adds can be heard most on the rock songs that sound bluesier and closer to a garage band, the three musicians come from Texas, sound than the more polished Innocent Criminal sound.

That influence can be heard of the drums and fuzz first single Shimmer & Shine and the album opener Number with No Name which is a slide guitar from down on the bayou that takes a pit stop in Seattle. The spacey yet raw Up to You Now is reminiscent of something off of Mirror ball which famously saw Neil Young replaced for the album Pearl Jam with Crazy Horse. Lay There & Hate Me features an opening piano groove and bassline that borders on disco with some "ooh's" that could have been lifted from a Rolling Stones record yet mix together perfectly. While Why Must You Always Dress in Black sounds like something from the Jimi Hendrix catalogue. Keep it Together (So I Can Fall Apart) starts out that way until it breaks down into kind of jam band type groove.

The slower songs sound more like vintage Harper for better or worse. Skin Thin sounds like it has appeared already on his previous nine albums with just a changed lyric or two. On the flip side of the coin is Fly One Time that just builds and builds with a driving groove to the point where Ben's voice starts to crack. Hopefully the rejuvenation from the Relentless7 keeps Ben Harper putting out listenable music for another ten albums.

I remember years ago, back when Ben had released another of his signature wildly eclectic albums, "Diamonds on the Inside", Ben was asked in an interview if he ever considered making a full on rock album. At the time he seemed to be placating the interviewer and said he might do so as a new challenge compared to his natural eclectic leanings. I thought "whatever, that's not his style." Well, never say never. Ben has continued to evolve as an artist and now we have his first true ROCK record. Ben seems to be following the exact opposite of most artists progression who typically put out some straight up rock records when they're young, full of fire but not sophisticated songwriters and only later starting to explore and incorporate other genre's and styles of music. Ben, on the other hand, started out as a great songwriter mastering songs in all genre's of folk,rock,reggae,blues,funk,jazz,soul and gospel...whew! White Lies for Dark Times is a GREAT ROCK RECORD. It's got the raw looseness of young band just starting out, and in a way it is since he's now rocking with a new group, Relentess 7. I love the Innocent Criminals (his previous band), but the IC's are such seasoned and sophisticated players, I don't think they could have quite pulled off an album this raw and fresh. I look forward to hearing more of Ben and the IC's, but for now, this is hitting the spot for great summer rock tunes you can blast with the windows down!! Although, its a focused rock record there's still a healthy mix of funk, folk and soul, introspection and fist pumping anthems. Ben's slide guitar sounds stellar as always and although guitarist Jason Mozersky may pale in comparison, particularly on solos, he has an interesting less is more style that works well with Ben's riffs and solos. Most impressive is the rhythm section of drummer Jordan Richardson and Jesse Ingalls. They can really lay it down and "Boots Like These" has the kind of drumming and rhythm that recalls Zeppellin's "Four Sticks." IMO, Harper is continuing to ride a creative and commercial high since "Diamonds on the Inside." Harper has never made the same album twice and I can't wait to see what he does next either with Relentless 7, the Innocent Criminals or whoever. In the meantime, get this album and have a blast rockin' out to what Ben Harper's doing now, because it changes like the weather.

As usual, Ben Harper has created one of the best releases of the year. This offering is more rockin' than Ben's recent efforts and most of the songs are excellent. Even though the songs rock, there are simply some beautiful moments on this release, both sonically and lyrically. There are probably more lead, slide and weissenborn guitar solos here than on any of Ben's recent releases, and they are very well played. This CD has a few mellower tunes as well, typical of Ben's albums. His "back-up band" on this release, the "Relentless 7," had contributed to a few of the more upbeat songs on "Both Sides of the Gun," and they are in fine form here. But in the end, its Ben's album, and he really shines. I suspect for many fans, this will be a favorite, along with "Fight For Your Mind."

Finding a good old straightforward rock n roll album isn't as easy as you'd think these days. For better or worse, the genre of rock has proliferated in many directions. On this album, Ben Harper seems to have his finger on the pulse of big 70s blues-rock, and for me that is a refreshing thing. Sure Ben is tapping into sounds from decades ago and simply melding them together, which isn't really anything new. But he does so with heart and conviction, which isn't something you always find in some of the other areas of modern rock. Ben really is following his own muse here and it's a lot of fun to hear how it plays out.

White Lies For Dark Times marks change in direction for Ben Harper. Gone are The Innocent Criminals with Relentless7 in their place. The changes that result from this are great, but that is by no means a knock on The Innocent Criminals (see my review of Lifeline for further discussion). However, Ben Harper is a versatile musician, and he has shown that he can deliver in multiple styles with White Lies For Dark Times being the most recent evidence.

Relentless7 is a three piece backing for Harper, and their sound has a much more electric emphasis than Lifeline. White Lies For Dark Times also has a darker sound, and Harper is nowhere near as upbeat. Harper's lyrics carry a sense of desperation and angst as shown by "There's nowhere to run/I've got no one to tell/My face has become a mask/And I'm not wearing it well" from "Number With No Name" or "Arms that hold you close/Are the arms that hold you back/While your world is under attack" from "Up To You Now". Other examples come from "Lay There & Hate Me" "I feel like an underpaid concubine/Who's overstayed her welcome" and "The Word Suicide" "The word suicide is irresponsible/Still you offer me a gun". It is clear that Harper is expressing a harsher reality than he did on Lifeline.

The change in lyrics is balanced with the change in sound from Relentless7. Jason Mozersky is a very good guitarist, and his use of distortion, fuzz, and "wah wah" pedals gives the instrumentation an edge that matches the lyrics of the songs. Harper's vocal delivery is also different. The first time I listened to the CD, the third verse of "Up To You Now" stuck with me as all the instruments are silent while he earnestly delivers the following lines in his upper register "There's no sound louder than war/And we don't have tomorrow any more". This has a striking effect because the technique is not overused. "Shimmer & Shine" is one of the faster paced songs, and it almost has a punk feel to it (but it's not quite *that* fast). It's about as upbeat as this CD gets, but things come back down quickly on "Lay There & Hate Me". It is a deliberate mix of R&B and rock, and Harper seems to have a lot of venom in his delivery. One other song worth specific mention is "Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)" is a nod to the sound of Jimmie Hendrix without being a cliche. Mozersky does a great job of conjuring up the image without coming off as a wannabe - no easy feat! Jesse Ingalls on bass and Jordan Richardson on drums provide a steady foundation for all of the songs.

Overall, White Lies For Dark Times is a bold change in direction for Ben Harper, but it would be hard to imagine a better result. The most important thing that it shares with Lifeline is that there is not a bad song on the entire CD. If you are hoping for the logical successor to Lifeline, you are likely to be disappointed. However, I would encourage all Ben Harper fans to give this a try because it is great stuff!

Download this: Shimmer & Shine

There are a mixed bag of influences at work on "Already Free", among which are the Allman Brothers, Memphis soul and Eric Clapton. Derek's assocation with the latter shows particularly in his preference here for tasteful,relatively restrained, playing on an album made by a band rather than sidemen backing up a star player (as Eric succeeded in doing beautifully on "461 Ocean Boulevard" and its admittedly patchier sister album "There's One In Every Crowd").

The above is especially true of the majority of tracks which feature Mike Mattison's expressive vocals that alongside Derek's unique slide give DTB an instantly recognisable identity.

Like other reviewers here, I'm not a great fan of Doyle Bramhall's characterless voice although I won't deduct a star from my rating as his co-writing contributions on "Maybe This Time", "Get What You Deserve" and "Our Love" compensate. Mrs Trucks' cameo on "Back Where I Started" provides a lovely diversion(her voice just seems to go on improving - I can't wait to hear "Back To The River").

Overall, a warm and lovely album that I will be playing a lot this summer.

the allman brothers blood runs deep into the music of this guitar wizard. listening to it is definitely a treat.

Derek Trucks lives up to the high opinion that other musicians have of him. He has played with Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, The Allman Brothers, and Susan Tedeschi (to whom he is married.)

Very good album that deserves to be in your library.

Derek Trucks is probably the greatest of the next generation guitarists. I just saw him at the Wiltern in L.A. and heard him play several cuts from his new album - among many other songs. I have not seen anybody master a guitar and dominate the stage as Derek did last night - since Jimi Hendrix - 40 years ago.

In this new album, his inclusion of others, their vocals and full span melodies may cut down a bit on his guitar magic, but it is more settling and inclusive of the potential audience. His other Band members - and Susan and Mike on vocals - represent best in class - accross the board. This album brings this out. Neither Jimi or Eric ever let the guitar take away from their songs - they made sure the guitar enabled the song to go beyond perfect. This album does just that - and no one forgets that this is Derek's band and album. This might be Derek's "Joshua Tree" breakthrough - as happened to U2 several decades ago. No one should miss this album - and everyone should see Derek live and on stage.

Absolutely one of the best musicians that I've ever seen!!!!

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I do. Generally, I prefer the jazzier and more eclectic sounds of Live at the Georgia Theater and Soul Serenade to the more straight blues sound of Out of the Madness. When I found out that this album would be a bit more about the blues, I got nervous. However, this album is an outstanding piece of work, and my favorite studio album so far by Derek Trucks. It sounds so much more loose and organic than anything he has done before, and the blues sound draws more from the swampy sounds of the Gulf Coast than Trucks' Allman roots. The musicians give each other space, and it is that space between the notes that creates the organic, swampy groove of this album. There are impressive solos, to be sure, but they are kept short and to the point. One of the things that has always been most impressive about Derek Trucks is that despite his instrumental prowess, he has always shown restraint. He gives the band their own space, and he doesn't go on excessively flashy and self-indulgent solos. Never has that been more true than on this album. So, if you just want long Derek Trucks guitar solos, this album won't be to your liking. This album isn't about the solos. It is about the groove.

It is also nice to see how cleanly Mike Mattison has integrated into the sound of the band. His raspy voice is actually better-suited to the organic, swampy sounds of this album than it is to the clean, jazzy sounds of their more instrumental-oriented recordings. That isn't to say that I don't love Live at the Georgia Theater. This sound just suits his voice a bit better.

I would also like to add a few words about "the Derek Trucks riff." If you listen to him enough, you probably know the riff I mean. When he plays a solo with a slide, he has a tendency to resolve his solos with the exact same descending sequence of notes. It can get a bit frustrating. As he has grown as a musician, he has been weening himself away from that riff. One of the things that made me nervous about this album is that he uses his signature riff most frequently when playing blues, so a blues album ran the risk of too many uses of "the Derek Trucks riff." However, he uses it only sparingly on this album. I have high hopes that within a few years, he will retire "the Derek Trucks riff." Yes, it is a good riff, but I grow weary of repetition. If I wanted to listen to the same riff, I wouldn't keep buying his albums-- I'd only need one. As Derek Trucks grows, he gets better in every way.

Further listening: If you want to explore the swampier sounds of this album a bit more, try albums by Mofro, The Bridge (Blind Man's Hill), Eric Lindell, Damon Fowler. You might also give a listen to Steve Winwood's latest, Nine Lives. He has abandoned the adult-contemporary sound that made him money in the 80s and early 90s, and gone back to make gritty, bluesy music. Give him another try. On the other hand, if you are bothered by this album because it deviates from the clean and urbane sound of his previous albums, avoid these recommendations. If you want something closer to his clean, jazzy stuff, try an album called Happy Accident by Chef Dave, or either of Johnny A.'s albums.

A couple of good songs but nothing much. Dave seems to thing that the more instruments that you put on a track all playing at once,the better it sounds. I don't agree. Go for his acoustic tracks.

4 1/2

This certainly must be as worthwhile a DMB album as any other they have come out with. It is one that, in retrospect especially, you get the feeling the creative effortlessness which guided all twelve of these unique afro-pop-rock-jazz fusion treats and framed all of them in such a warmth has all but completely run dry. Whether you are a fan of the band's signature sound or not is besides the point that Crash can rate as one of the more solid major label rock records of the 90's-easy. What did not become a massive hit on radio is an even greater treat to hear. The only possible problems I see are the sometimes overindulgences Matthews uses vocally, and the fact that Crash Into Me/Let You Down, and Too Much/Tripping Billies feel similar. Similarly great, that is.

Before writing my review I read through most of the folks that rated this album one star. Basically, their brilliant analysis of this record amounts to "this stuff is popular so of course it sucks!" and "these guys aren't real musicians!" and "Dave can't sing". Okay, if you don't like the singer's voice for any band it's difficult or impossible to listen to the band. Personally, I don't understand the dislike for Dave's voice - it is certainly nothing akin to Geddy Lee or other vocalists that commonly warrant contempt (from others, not me: I love RUSH and the only vocalist that I've found I can't stand is Josh Groban.)

So the other arguments for disliking this record amount to "I dislike this record", "DMB sucks!", and "anything popular is garbage!" - now, perhaps it is just me, but don't those opinions sound like air-headed, anti-establishment high school sophomores with a chip on their shoulder? To me they do. I know folks that hate anything that gets radio play. Why do they hate music that gains a visible public following? It seems they carry psychological scars - perhaps they were in punk bands in their younger years (or still are) and never made the millions that they now resent being made by bands like DMB. I can understand that resentment, but it doesn't make DMB bad - it just makes DMB a symbol for those poorer, emotionally driven non-fans. So sad.

It is sad because Dave Matthews *can* be a symbol of what great music aspires to be. I quit listening to music on the radio perhaps twenty years ago because there was so much drivel (and commercials.) I discovered Dave Matthews somewhat by accident and that event was like finding an oasis in the desert - holy cow, there are still musicians making music with complexity, real instruments, real voices, and real lyrics! And this was just before Crash was released. When I first heard Crash I knew that Under The Table And Dreaming was not just a fluke, that there really was a band that would be making music for decades to come that would evolve, grow, change, surprise me, and make me hunger for more.

This is a recording that satisfies from beginning to end. Yes, I love Proudest Monkey! Every song on this record has something great to offer and Lie In Our Graves is one of the best songs DMB has ever created. Yes, live versions of many of these songs are perhaps better or warmer. I like listening to the studio versions as well as the live versions and hearing the contrast. If you don't like studio versions, choose otherwise! Pretty simple.

Dave Matthews is not for the individual that rejects what has popularity for the sake of rejecting what is popular. If that describes you then I might suggest you avoid learning what is popular (I have no idea what industry chart numbers DMB records have reached because I choose not to make myself aware of industry charts) and instead learn to choose what is good because it is good. I believe that is part of growing up and thinking for yourself, ironic though that may sound.

I would like to state that I am a Dave Matthews fan and own all of his albums. Crash is hands down not only my favorite DMB album but on my top list of all cds (I own over a 1000 cds).

The DMB is known as a touring band that can take any song and turn it into a 10 minute jam. Most of the crowd favorites of any concert are songs off the Crash album. In my opinion the entire album is solid from the well known to the least known. I would be comfortable in saying that the DMB should offer a money back gurantee on this album since everyone that I know enjoys it including a buddy who listens to bands such as Slayer.

If you are reading reviews to decide if this cd is worth the money, I can only say put it in the cart you will not be disappointed.

When I was three years old, my family lived in Kentucky, and times were a little rough. My mother was training to be a guidance counsler. My dad was shifting between janitor at a local high school and earning his Ph. D. at Siminary. I saw my dad all day, and my mom all night. Every day before he left for work he would play Crash Into Me for me. "I'm the king of the castle" was the favorite(and only) line I knew. The rest didn't matter. This is one of the best albums I have ever heard, and if I am ever shipwrecked on a desert island this is the only thing I could ever ask for.

To Terrapin is a solid GD vault release and a good addition to most collections. If you really want a couple of shows from the 1977 period I'd personally recommend picking up Dicks Picks 10 or 29 first. Anyway you go on any of these releases the band is is fine form. Latvala!

I'll get to the point.
Disc three is very good.
Disc's one and two are lethargic.
Bobby ruined Minglewood by forgetting the verse"with a couple more shots of whisky".
I'm rating it a 2.
If you want this for some historical purpose ok. But If you want a fluid Dead show with them "in the Soup" with reckless abandon with spot on vocals and delivery, Listen to something else.
There are hundreds of dead shows out there on disc much better than this one.

Really enjoy this CD. In 1977 I was graduating high school. The Grateful Dead was at their best. The sound quality and the music captured in this CD are priceless! Let's see more material released like this in the future!

I've got a low generation Bettyboard of this show and can't see spending the money for the slight improvement in audio quality.

However, if you aren't a tape/CDR trader (I have EVERY show from 1977, including the tiny snippet of Albuquerque, and some 800 Dead shows in all) I highly recommend this.

An earlier poster is right: this show gets overlooked because there were so many gems in 1977. (And 1978 was pretty hot, too!) I recommend this with all five stars. Sugaree clocks in at almost 20 minutes in surely one of the all-time best versions. EVERYTHING is great. The only thing that would have made this show even more awesome would have been a nice Dark Star. Oh, well, you can't have everything.

Take it from someone who knows the Dead's catalog inside out, this is good stuff and if you don't have it, what are you waiting for? Download it and ENJOY!

There have been so many "releases from the vault" from the Grateful Dead's illustrious career that sometimes it is hard to tell one is really, as in REALLY, worth it, but this one surely is one of them.

"To Terrapin: Hartford '77" (3 CDs; 21 tracks; 172 min.) brings the last show of the Dead's Spring 1977 tour, and the band is at the top of its game. In some corners of deadhead fandom, the era with the Godchaux (keyboardist Keith and vocalist Donna) is not the best of the Dead, even suspicicous, but I'm not one of those. I've always had a weak spot for that era, and it couldn't be more vindicated by this release. CD1 starts off with a delicious 30 min. Bertha>Good Lovin'>Sugaree. CD2 contains a lot of shorter songs, including a delightful "Brown-Eyed Woman". CD3 brings the best of this release, an hour-long journey starting with the then-new "Estimated Prophet", then morphing into "Playing In the Band" and on and on, just fabulous. The set ends with an exuberant "One More Saturday Night" and the closer "U.S. Blues". Wow. This is an essential live CD release for any Dead fan, period.

I just came back from seeing the revived/revamped Dead at the Forum in LA and the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on its 2009 Spring tour, after a 5 year lay-off, and I am here to tell you that my expectations were surpassed, and then some. Over those two nights, the band played a number of songs found on this release, including Bertha, Sugaree, Good Lovin', One More Saturday Night, and Wharf Rat, but a bunch of other jems like Viola Lee Blues, Slipknot! and a Rolling Stones cover each night. The band sounded really tight, and came across interested and engaged. It's great to see the band back on the road, playing great, and I hope that they will continue touring. Meanwhile, "To Terrapin" is HIGHLY recommended!

Would definitely buy from this seller again. Came very quickly and in condition that was stated. Thanks!

I'm a fan, turned my teen onto Dave and now she's a fan. Love this album and most of the others from track 1 to end...

What can I say other than this is one of my favorite CDs now? Dave Matthews is an excellent musician, backed up by excellent musicians. A must own for the Dave Matthews fan.

Well here it is: The ever controversial Dave Matthews Band. It's a band that has so many fans and lovers as much as passionate haters who think they are one of the most irritating pieces of shlock to ever come from the popular music scene. Heh. Yeah right. I initially wasn't sold on Dave Matthews Band, thinking they would probably go under boring, adult contemporary junk like John Mayer. While Dave Matthews would eventually far for that, I found them to be a pleasant surprise.

DMB are talented, don't let anybody tell you otherwise. With great dynamics courtesy of the acoustic guitar, the drums and bass are really talented. They have a grooving mindset, and they have mounds of talent, especially when it comes to the drumming.

People also complain that when they solo, they just turn into a mind numbing jam. Huh? I think whenever they solo, it's no different from the best, most passionate guitar solos that speak to me. When the soloist(s) take the lead, there's always the other parts of the band to give it cushion and move everything along gracefully. It's the live jams they are known for jamming like crazy, but since this is the studio album, what do I care? There isn't anything that will annoy you (unless you are totally against solos). These guys really know how to play being able to show good songwriting skills by working together.

And also, I personally dig Dave Matthews singing. In fact, I think it kicks arse. Sounds pretty interesting to most, but I personally think it's an excellent voice.

This is easily their best album. They would automatically go downhill with Crash, but everything on here is great. Even the seven minute song, Wharehouse, has enough to keep you interested. The ballads, as usual, are the weakest tracks on the album, but these ones are actually easy to listen to, with some beauty. Dave Matthews hasn't exaclty impressed me with ballads, as Before These Crowded Streets suffered big time thanks to those ballads. When Dave goes upbeat, he hits gold. There's more this time around, with songs like The Best of What's Around and What Would You Say. Fairly emotional songs like Rhyme and Reason, Satellite, well, this whole album is great listening.

This is easily the best DMB album. DMB, unfortunatly, never got to have consistency in releasing albums. I recommend this, Crash, and at least to give Before These Crowded Streets a chance. The rest of their albums would fall into boring, bland, and one dimensional radio _______. No worries, you'll learn to love these albums and spin them again and again.

8.5/10

I am not a HUGE DMB fan, but I do have about 5 albums of theirs. Love them all--one of the few bands I can listen to the entire CD of, not just select tracks.
HOWEVER, I have been trying to get this particular CD on my PC (to transfer to my MP3) for about 5 years now. Have tried my copy, friends' copies, the library's copy--to no avail.
Copyright law states that a consumer may make one back-up copy of any copyrighted material, so there should be no copy-protection anyway. I just want to put the album on my MP3 so I can listen more often. I even thought I would purchase the MP3 album (and pay ANOTHER $12!!!!!) just so that I could have it--but they don't offer MP3 album through Amazon.
DMB, rethink this copy-protected garbage. As another reviewer pointed out, your albums sell quite well and you tour often. Some of us DO ALREADY pay the money for your work but want to actually be able to USE it!

Bought this 'bout a month ago and it's still fresh. This album made me want to buy a good pair of headphones to appreciate it, and I did. I've been a dmb head since their first album, and think their first two are still without equal. But this offers more "volume" to their style, and more intracacy as far as horns and range throughout each song. The extra cd is all-right with the exception of "little red bird" which paired with my new headphones is epic, total instant classic and worth the extra price. Dave's artwork is impressive also, something I didn't expect. Bottom line-if your a Dave fan, buy it, you won't be dissapointed. Side point; the headphones I bought were Sennhiser 600's (around $250)and WOW I do recommend buying some sort of good headphones 'cause the "earbud" headphones don't do anything justice, and you will need power for these headphones. I bought "total bit head" headphone amp for around $150. I'm not "selling" these headphones, just trying to spread the word about good headphones, do your own research but beleive me buying a good pair of headphones is essential to music listening-I just found this out and I'm trying to get my brother to get some. Hope this helps! Enjoy....

Once again, Dave Matthews and his band of soulful players have created an amazing cd. I think anyone out there who's favorite list of their slow songs included Dave's solo "Stay or Leave" will love the cd's last song, "You&Me." The entire cd is amazing, and while I'm a fan, even first time listeners will enjoy this. I am sure most will think the cd has a slower overtone, but there is a mixture of songs on this album.
All I have to say is while this is another cd to add to my DMB collection, it's a new favorite and I think they have outdone themselves again.
Enjoy!!

This is such a great album. I love every song on it :) Can't wait for the concert in August!

As others have mentioned, this album gets back to the quality of song writing from their earlier albums. Their last couple have been one-liners; a simple catchy single that everyone in the band plays in unison. Here, they return to songs where each instrument has its own voice (with a couple of exceptions). The only weak song is You and Me where clearly the band is not playing and is a piece of engineering.

Giving us their best album since Before These Crowded Streets, DMB has delivered a complete record that works on every level. I hesitate to call it their best, but it really is close. It's better than anything they've done in a decade by a long shot, and is on par with the excellent work from their revered first three albums. There is not a weak one in the bunch. Every time I listen to it I get a new favorite. From the opening notes of Roi's sax on "Grux" that segues into the great rocker "Shake Me Like a Monkey" through, well, the whole album, everything works. Personal favorites (aside from the aforementioned) are "Seven", "Squirm", "Dive In" and "Lying in the Hands of God." Part of the success of the album has got to go to Tim Reynolds. I just can't put it down as a coincidence that the four great albums the band have done were the four that included contributions by Tim.

As for this set, however, if you can afford the extra bucks, there are several goodies worth your while. First up is the bonus disc, with four songs: "#27", a frequent staple from recent live shows, this studio version captures the energy from the live performance well; "Beach Ball", a fun, bouncy little number, like its title; "Little Red Bird", an acoustic piece that would be well suited to a Dave and Tim show; and "Write A Song," a song that hasn't really grown on me yet (maybe there's an irony to the title?): about the only song between the album and the bonus disc I'm not too crazy about, but 16/17 is a pretty good ratio.

Next up is the "Scenes from Big Whiskey" DVD, a 30 minute making of DVD that is surprisingly candid about the problems the band had been having, Roi's death, and the inner workings on how the songs on the album were formed. I usually find myself disappointed with the DVDs that come with new albums these days, as they seem more like promotional fluff pieces for an album you've already bought, but this one isn't. This is actually worth taking a look at.

You also get a photo book titled simply "Roi." This is a very nice collection of great Roi pics on nice glossy pages. I especially liked the early pics of him performing on stage when the band was just beginning.

If that's not enough, you also get a very large book called "Grux Pix" that is another photo book of the entire band. Large in height and width, if not in thickness, running 36 pages, it collects pics of the band through the years, and includes some nice shots of the band in the studio working on the new album. A nice touch, I thought, was that not only did the "The Band" section include shots of Roi, but also Rashawn, Jeff and Tim.

Lastly, there is pretty much every page from the GrooGrux album booklet blown up to mammoth size (almost the same dimensions as the large "Groo Pix" book, actually, just not quite as wide) and available separately, but wrapped in a band to hold them together. There is also the album cover art on a plain white sheet, with the lines stenciled in but no color added. I guess in case you wanted to do your own coloring? Honestly not sure why this is in there.

The box itself is nice and sturdy. I was concerned that it might be flimsy, that it might get banged up during shipping. Not to worry. It came in perfect condition.

In this day and age, it can be hard justifying paying so much for an album. It certainly was for me. Of all the box sets I've been seeing artists putting out for new albums recently, however, I think this is one of the better ones. If you can afford it, I think it's worth it. If not, however, there is certainly nothing wrong with just getting the album.

Before These Crowded Streets is Human. Within every song is a Human emotion that has been felt by every one. Each song delves into a different Human emotion and in so doing it covers every emotion we as Human Beings could ever experience.

This album is a documentation of the development of a Human Being. Beginning with an innocent type of joy that then turns into anger once the ways of the world are discovered and the child is innocent no more. Then there is joy again, though with the knowledge that it cannot last forever and from this comes an appreciation for the good times. Anger resumes and then a decision comes to get away, to find a new life. Love is found and then lost. With memories left inside and a longing for one who may or may not ever return to your arms, you're stranded in a state of agony. More of the worlds woes are seen clearly, only these woes bring sadness and pain. Finally however, a realization comes that this is life and you must find the joy and positivity in everything and make the most of each day. Then comes peace.

If you listen to this album you will see how in the exact order that I have described the songs follow this paragraph. You will be in for a treat as this is some of the greatest music of varying tempos and rythms you have ever heard. The lyrics are Poetry, I'm a Poet and I don't use the term lightly. Dave really writes some incredibly moving stuff here. If the DMB had one best album, this...would be it.

My wife's classic Dave CD that needed replacing from being played about 1000 past its prime. Definitely put a smile on her face!!!

It's been probably seven years since I've listened to this album, and just tonight I became reacquainted with it. These are honestly some of the most masterful auditory sounds I've ever heard. The definition of beautiful music.

It's rare that any album contains just one song that can make me feel like I'm in another world; this album contains three: Spoon (it is painful how perfect this song is), the Stone, and the Dreaming Tree. Pig and Crush are up there too.

PS - Like I said, it's been awhile, but when I was younger my DMB friend insisted that Under the Table and Dreaming was better. I've always highly preferred Before These Crowded Streets (seriously, those last five songs... inexplicably beautiful...)

I didn't have high hopes for this album, but I didn't think it would be like this. This album has high potential. Really high potential. Consider what they have here:

A vocalist that can't be imitated (despite the criticism, I like his vocals). Acoustic guitar and it's range of dynamics and flavors (I dig his playing). The grooving, peaceful, graceful, can do anything rhythm section of Carter and Steffan. A full time wind player and violinist. Tim Reynolds on every track playing electric guitar (in a great way instead of the the way that bogged down Everyday). And pianos, banjos, and organ the Chapman Stick, a trumpet, soulful background vocals from the Lovely Ladies, and the Kronos Quartet. A great variety of atmosphere and mood.

But it's too bad that this album wallows in unbearably repetitive. Some of the material here is excellent, but the rest of either too undeveloped and runs or unbearabley soft, unemotional, and BORING. The ballads are awful, muzak worthy with not enough melody and absolutely no conveying of emotion in Dave Matthews' voice. And a lot of the tracks on here run on too long with no real ideas and no real progression giving their time length. A lot of the songs end with jams, and they are interesting, but it's kind of hard to get to them with an endless flotation of weak melodies. Dave is also not very good at being angry in his vocals, and, for me, it's pretty bad. His lyrics sometimes are questionable to begin with, and it's apparent on this album as well.

But the good things? Well, they are there, and there are some great songs on here worthy if you like the band. The intro, of course, is fine, along with some of the other tracks, like Stay, Rapunzel (though the bridge jam part is boring), and The Last Stop. Crush is a great song, and it justifies the time length, which is what many of the songs should have been like, or at least an example: a variety, great jams like speaking, the like. Don't Drink The Water starts out great, though it kind of fades at the end with repetition. IT's not terrible, but there's a lot of material on this album not worth your time.

It's kind of sad really, that Dave Matthews Band would even be worse with the release of their next album, the craptastic everyday. You might like it more than I did, and I think you should at least check it out, along with their first albums.

5.5/10

I always love their live stuff better, but this is still a worth while studio album purchase.